Search Results for:

THE ARTLESS CUCKOO

Loud pressed vinyl single featuring the best track from the group's 1979 album plus an unreleased take of the track ''My Fate'' on the flip.. Very smooth German AOR with definite appeal for the Balearic fraternity. 

Ara Pacis, a group from the island Föhr in the North Sea, was originally founded in 1971. Initially influenced by blues and classic rock by The Rolling Stones, The Who, and the like, they were also inspired by bands such as Steely Dan as well as the German/British group Lake. However, Ara Pacis created a style of their own when their privately pressed an self-distributed “To the Westcoast” LP was released in 1979. The songs were mainly characterized by two-part guitar riffs by Töns Brautlecht-Deppe and Wolfgang Schiffner, who also were the core songwriters of the band.

The freshly remastered single starts with the title track “To the Westcoast”. Due to its sunny, yacht-friendly vibe it is easily amongst the best and most authentic tunes out of the “Westcoast rock” genre recorded in Germany. With family connections in California, lead singer Töns Brautlecht-Deppe was able to create and capture the feeling of the Pacific sea shore just perfectly.

The single is backed with a revised studio version of “My Fate”. The track is also featured on the album but the version presented here on the 7" vinyl is an unreleased, even quite funky and more powerful take. It was recorded in 1981 at the Rüssl studio in Hamburg where Brautlecht had just started to work as an engineer.

As the "To the Westcoast" LP was released during a time when styles like New Wave, Synth Pop and Punk became popular in Germany and the interest in organic and soulful rock declined, Ara Pacis’ debut remained relatively unnoticed until today and even the Krautrock collector’s scene does not seem to be fully aware of this hard to find gem yet of which only 1000 copies were originally pressed. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Perfectly categorised as "Kraut-yacht" by shop favourite and MCR DJ Forbes, this blue-eyed, open hearted AOR groover skips across the waves on a Steely Dan rhythm, enjoys some Doobie Brothers guitar chords and lifts off with CSN harmonies. Bliss!

TRACK LISTING

To The Westcoast
My Fate (Revisited)


Latest Pre-Sales

167 NEW ITEMS

E-newsletter —
Sign up
Back to top